Once Upon A Swine Flu
Good Morning, my Friends. Unless you live under a rock, which is a tempting life style, you are aware of the outbreak of Swine Flu. Apparently it got the jump on Mexico and was picked up by tourist and promptly brought back to the United States and beyond. As soon as I saw the news, something sparked in my mind. I remembered something from my childhood. Something like this has happened before. Then as I was traveling to Athens Ga yesterday morning and the Morning DJ down there on WPUP reminded of the 1976 outbreak. The vaccine was blamed for more deaths than the flu itself. The outbreak started at Ft. Dix NJ. I'm not a Health Professional, even though I'm pretty healthy. This post is for Historical Reasons Only.
How about those 1976 hairstyes!
The Appalachianist
How about those 1976 hairstyes!
The Appalachianist
posted by Hill Billy Rave | Wednesday, April 29, 2009
14 Comments:
I remember the '76 flu. I was a freshman in college and I remember people thinking I was crazy because I wasn't about to get a vaccine. Of course, it's no longer the swine flu, but now N1H1 or is it H1N1? I wrote about that last night!
So I wasn't around for the first outbreak - which makes this all new and shiny for me - kind of exciting. Except, this pig flu seems to be either A) a huge deal or B) not a huge deal, with very little middle ground.
It doesn't help that there doesn't appear to be much actual information about it and precautions seem to include the same ones you use when trying not to get a regular cold - washing your hands and covering your cough.
The media seems to be trying to get me to freak out, but I'm having a hard time doing this when the regular flu killed 30,000 people last year and I'm still alive. If this is some monster, mutated virus I should be scared about...shouldn't there be some reasonable, responsible adult on the tv telling me what to do to avoid dying?
Since you've seen this big one before, App, I'll ask you ; )
Is this a 'duck and cover moment'? Should I hide out in the bunker until its over?
Pipsqeak, I was eight years old. I only remember it being in the news and adults talking about it. I don't remember anyone beng upset.
It was on a Military base and could be more easily contained. So, I can't tell you much of anything.
Sage, I was just a kid. Iwuld have no choice. Of course my Mother and Father would have refused if people were dying and it was still being given. You memory will be much better than mine. I don't know what it's being called.
I was 5. I was too busy playing with Barbies.
Now, however, I get a kick out of hearing the news readers list new and ingenious ways to prevent it...like washing your hands.
My still living mother was born in 1919. It was a year of flu. I believe it was called the Spanish flu because it was thought to have originated in that country. Mother's mother said that coffins were piled head high on the railroad platforms of a small country station called Dawkins. It is no longer near the Broad River in Sout Carolina where they lived. Rairoad stations all over the country had a similar experience. In deed, millions of people around the world died from that outbreak. The dead are believed to have number between forty and sixty million around the world. What was unusual about this particular flu was the fact that it appeared to attack most frequently or kill young able bodied men and women between the ages of twenty and forty. People wore masks then too. Most masks then as now appeard to be useless. I don't mean to speak so directly to this, but the news reports are reporting things that don't seem to be well thought out . . . in truth we still don't know very much about what is happening. I just hope we get it right. Don't mean to sound like a pompous ass about this. It frightens me quite frankly. My daughter is due on August 17. I hope it has run its course by then, and we have a "good" vaccine and the knowledge to hold this thing in check with minimum difficulty. If you have ever had a bad case of the flu . . . it is awful and it kills so easily. Bill
LOL, Murf. I take it your Barbies didn't get it. You bring a good point. We are seeing a bit of a media circus when they broadcast common sense as breaking news. Which brings me to a gripe...Stand back...Anymore we have so many people waiting to be told how to blow their nose from talking heads. What are we becoming? End of gripe, you'l can resume normal distance.
Bill, your comment reminds me...In allot of these old grave yards there are little rocks, usually grouped together. The elders often remark that it's the children and infants that passed in the cholera(spelling?)sickness of earley last century. Your mention of the coffins also reminds me of the Korean War vet I used to talk with once ina while telling me about seeing ice cycles of blood hanging from a duece and a half, loaded with the dead.
Mexico is hurting right now. If we pray for anyone it ought to be Mexico. We can't look down onthem either. It happened here and was fortuante enough to be on a Army Post that could be locked down quickly.
I've not heard much tell of the Spanish Flu here. That now occurs to me.
I'm a Yankee..I have a feeling my personal space limit is larger than yours so I'm still quite far from you.
I enjoyed the news about the proper way to blow your nose because for once, I'm doing something right.
By the way, here's a link that relates to your rant:
http://www.vuetoo.com/vue1/Situationpagenews.asp?af=&sit=4540&z=&np=&tp=14Swine flu state of emergency in California. *sigh* I think I'm going to have to lay off the news until this hullabaloo is over.
You have to foregive me in my awful wordyness (a word?) as I said my daughter is expecting and I am nervous as a cat about all threats real or otherwise including this seemingly very contagious flu. Murf, about blowing your nose just place your hand against one nostril, lean out and blow . . . it is why we are all going to get the flu . . . please don't do what I say . . . boy, that ought to crank everyone up . . . hope no one gets sick. Ap . . . IYou are right about Mexico. I wish we would crank up full bore for this thing . . . we could help Mexico with this . . . as much as I would like a controlled border, virus are equal opportunity hurt you things . . . Bill
I think that we all need to look at this "swine flu" thing a bit differently. This is being handled alot like Hurricane warnings. It MIGHT be a level 5! It's like a tornado watch--conditions are favorable. Fact is if the CDC & WHO did little and this in fact became a worldwide horror pandemic, we'd either be screaming for blood or dead. So, I'm glad to see these agencies doing what they are supposed to do--PREPARE.
Just remember if this thing does in fact follow the Spanish flu course--it may be mild now--but return in the fall/spring with a deadly result. Viruses like this mutate and that is what we don't want. That's why several experts have said we need to watch/wait and see how truly virulent this is or becomes. What should be hoped for is this is one wuss of a virus--and that this was a false alarm like SARS.
If we ignore the media sensationalism (why are we paying so much attention to it!!!) and look back in history, pandemics happen. So I personally think that reminding people of them and reminding them of how to avoid getting sick is helpful. I see lots of bad hygiene daily--people can be a bit gross.
I have had influenza A twice--I don't want it again--even if mild. So I'll take a vaccine. They know what went wrong in 1976--and that won't happen again.
Wish there were more real information out there and hope to see it soon.
Apparently we shouldn't ride the planes or the subways...oh Joe Biden. On the upside here in a few months we should try to sell some of our pigs to Egypt since they are getting ready to kill all of theirs.
I'm going to have to start making the effort to answering on the weekends.
Murf, did you get "hullabahloo" from me or is that something you've always said?
Cat, I don't remember you, so you get a great big ol' Hill Billy Rave Welcome, "Dance around the campfire, hang around a while".
My personal take is, they should shut the border for a few weeks, send some medical supplies and help until this thing plays out. But then, that's not politically friendly.
Pipsqeak, Egypt shoudln't have too many pigs. I saw something that resembled dressed hogs hanging on a street corner when I was in Cairo. But then it could have been something else that was around the same size. If pigs go from the farm to the slaughter house it should not be a problem.
Bill, I'm with you...
God bless us everyone . . . I'll drink to that . . . the flu seems to be slowing . . . I hope so. Take care all. Bill
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